Table of Contents
What is a Métis family?
The Métis people originated in the 1700s when French and Scottish fur traders married Aboriginal women, such as the Cree, and Anishinabe (Ojibway). Their descendants formed a distinct culture, collective consciousness and nationhood in the Northwest. Distinct Métis communities developed along the fur trade routes.
What is a Métis mixed with?
Métis are people of mixed European and Indigenous ancestry, and one of the three recognized Aboriginal peoples in Canada. The use of the term Métis is complex and contentious, and has different historical and contemporary meanings.
Who qualifies as Métis?
In French, the word métis is an adjective referring to someone of mixed ancestry. Since the 18th century, the word has been used to describe individuals with mixed Indigenous and European ancestry. But it’s generally recognized that being Métis is more than having mixed Indigenous and European heritage.
What is a Métis female?
Métis Women are the heart and soul of the Métis people. Sovereign within their familial and community roles, they were the healers, the stewards of the land and its resources, the keepers of Indigenous knowledge, and the midwives who kept the Métis Nation nurtured, educated, and sustained.
How do you identify Métis?
The Congress of Aboriginal Peoples defines Métis as “individuals who have Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal ancestry, self-identify themselves as Métis and are accepted by a Métis community as Métis.” The Métis National Council defines Métis as “a person who self-identifies as Métis, is of historic Métis Nation ancestry.
How do I prove Im Métis?
A Métis student can prove their Métis ancestry in two ways:
- Membership in a Métis nation (i.e. Manitoba Métis Federation, Métis Nation of Ontario).
- A certified genealogy which shows that a student is descended from the Métis and would make that student eligible for membership with a Métis organization.
What language did the Métis speak?
French
Michif, the Métis-French language, is one of the most prominent evidences of the fusion of two cultures. This unique language combines verbs from Cree, Ojibway, and other First Nations languages with French nouns and other phrases. Michif was widely used throughout the regions in which Métis people lived and worked.
Are Cree and Métis the same?
The Métis-Cree of Canada are the children of the Cree women and French, Scottish and English fur traders who were used to form alliances between Native peoples and trading companies. We, the Métis, are a nation, sharing the traditions of all our mothers and fathers.
Can you self-identify as Métis?
SELF-IDENTIFICATION The individual must self-identify as a member of a Métis community. It is not enough to self-identify as Métis, but that identification must have an ongoing connection to a historic Métis community.
How do I trace my Metis heritage?
What does a Metis card entitle me to?
1) What does my new citizenship card entitle me to? Access to all MNO programs and services, including education, training, housing, health, economic development, etc. Ability to run and hold office within MNO governance structures (e.g. MNO Community Councils, Provisional Council of the Métis Nation of Ontario, etc.)